From the Editor: On Immediacy, Accessibility, and Multi-Tasking

     Growing up, I thought instant communication meant a string and two empty green bean cans strung across the breezeway between bedroom windows. One friend would yell to the other, “Pick up!” and a satisfying chat ensued (“What are you doing?” “Nothing. What are you doing?”) until one of us was called away. We thought it was the greatest thing ever.

     In those days when you were on the phone (Green Giant or otherwise), you could perform only those tasks that could be accomplished in the immediate vicinity of the phone or as far as the phone cord could stretch. Basically, that meant looking in the bedroom mirror or washing dishes at the kitchen sink. When you were communicating with someone electronically, he/she had your complete attention; others calling you got a busy signal. The term multi-tasking had yet to be defined and even if you were engaged in simultaneous activities, they sync-ed, or sinked, as the case may be.

     We eventually graduated (some sooner than others) to cordless phones and computers. The former enhanced your mobility and consequently your ability to multi-task while on the phone; the latter confined you to one place but you could instant message as if you were on the phone (long-distance charges and concurrent correspondence aside, why don’t folks just call instead of IM-ing?). Soon after, cell phones emerged. About this time, the notion of 24/7 accessibility evolved, along with the inference that no matter where you were or what you were doing, you had to answer the call and have loud discussions while others around you tried not to eavesdrop. The days of staring at people who talk to themselves ended with Bluetooth, as did uninterrupted conversations, getting away from it all in your car, or totally free time off from work. Everyone can find you.

     Then, some genius thought to combine mobility and messaging (and a host of other computer apps). Now phones are computers (or is it vice versa?) and you can text. Correspondence is more succinct and you get an immediate reaction from your BFF if you write something that makes her LOL. Unlike my husband, I understand the concept of texting rather than calling; text notification is more subtle than a ringing/singing/chirping/rapping in-coming call. I must fight the guilty urge to respond even if the timing isn’t appropriate.

     Don’t get me wrong. I like that I have multiple ways to reach people. What I find irksome are all the ways we are expected to stay constantly, electronically in touch. Now I not only have several e-mail accounts, but I am also required to blog and twitter. I am no prude but I find the act of twittering somewhat provocative (didn’t Bambi and friends get twitter-pated in Spring?). But to what end? Do people really need to know (let alone, do they care) what I am doing at this very moment? Seriously, members of Congress twittering during the President’s address? Reminders at the theater to silence your gadgets? All this communicating is but a small step beyond the note passing that got me into trouble at school. The teachers were right: I wasn’t paying attention.

     Immediacy and accessibility are distracting. We are not more productive multi-taskers; in actuality, we are a nation of switch taskers. According to a recent article in The Hospitalist,¹ interruption science has become a field of study that has yielded proof that constantly interrupting ourselves, often to answer a vibration in our pockets, is at best counter-productive and at worst the cause of errors, some of them medical. We may think we can handle several activities at once, but without focus, nothing gets done well. And when switch tasking involves relationships, personal or professional, it is discourteous and irresponsible.

     Turn off your technology and envelope yourself in this issue. Give your undivided attention to ground-breaking articles that re-define deep tissue injury, offer new insights into biofilm, address concerns about pressure ulcer prevalence in long-term care, discuss the effects of global warming on diagnoses, and provide information on difficult-to-diagnose skin cancers. If you are attending the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care at the end of this month, resist the impulse to pass electronic notes and immerse yourself in the wealth of knowledge available. Is there still such a thing as a busy signal? Whatever. Leave a message.

     Saddle up! It’s time to learn
     You know the credits you can earn
     Make sure you network. Take good notes
     Pick some brains. Stuff full your totes
     Obtain free samples. Touch. Apply
     Stand. Ask questions. Don’t be shy
     Infuse your mind. You have the keys
     Untold possibilities
     Make this SAWC

    Your (Lone) star opportunity.

1. Nelson J. Really, it’s switch tasking. The Hospitalist. 2008;November:69.